Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

In 1969 the pesticide concentrations of 20 randomly selected Delta Lakes were evaluated by gas chromatograph. The DDT complex and toxaphene were the prevalent pesticides found in water, fish and bottom sediment. Lake waters were generally low in pesticide residues. Pesticide residues of DDT+metabolites and toxaphene in fish flesh ranged respectively from 0.15-10.60 p.p.m. and 0.0-20.0 p.p.m. Bottom sediment contained from 0.02-3.58 p.p.m. DDT+metabolites, while toxaphene ranged from 0.0-2.47 p.p.m. All lakes surveyed were found to contain pesticides.

Economic returns from the commercial production of fish in Arkansas during 1969 were approximately double those of 1966. Acreages devoted to the culture of golden shiners and channel catfish in Arkansas showed major increases. The cash return from shiners was up 60 percent, and that from catfish increased almost fourfold. The overall return to Arkansas from all fish culture exceeded $17 million, whereas the nationwide return from baitfishes and catfish alone was nearly $35 million. Data collected from Arkansas fish farmers was analyzed with the aid of automatic data processing and are reported in the categories of Foodfish, Baitfish, Fingerlings, and Fee Fishing. Acreages, production, and dollar values of each category are presented. In Arkansas, golden shiners are the leading species in terms of acreage and dollar production. Channel catfish for foodfish rank a close second in dollar value.

A study was initiated in order to evaluate crawfish (Procambarus clarki) production in several impoundments managed for waterfowl on Rockefeller Refuge, Grand Chenier, Louisiana. Impoundments have been intensively managed for waterfowl on the refuge for the past 16 years, however, this has been through a gravity flow system. Pumping units were installed in three ofthe impoundments in 1968, bringing under water control some 6,000 acres of marshland. Certain management techniques employed in these impoundments, particularly in the areas controlled by pumping units, have significantly increased the production of crawfish as well as desirable waterfowl food plants. It is hoped that programs of this nature will stimulate the owners of large tracts of marshes to manage their holdings for wildlife.

A total of 275 channel catfish, measuring on the average of 21.4 mm in total length were raised in the laboratory for 120 days under controlled temperatures of 26,28, and 32 C with lO-hr and 14-hr photoperiods. Data on growth, f09d consumption, food conversion efficiency, and water quality were collected at IS-day intervals. Analysis of length-weight relationship showed that the experimental conditions had no effect on body shape. The fish under 28C-IOL had slow growth in length throughout the study period. Variations in food consumption and food conversion efficiency in IS-day intervals were discussed. Average food consumption and food conversion efficiency for the entire study period were discussed in relation to temperature-photoperiod combinations. The fish at 28 and 32 C consumed more food under IO-hr than under 14-hr light conditions. There was a direct relationship between photoperiod and food conversion efficiency for the fish at all the three temperatures.

A study to determine the relationship of the interval of time between lifts and the catch of ten-foot Wisconsin-type trap nets was included as a segment of an investigation designed to determine the potential of utilizing trap nets as a commercial fishing device in warmwater reservoirs. Data obtained from the catch of 170 trap net lifts, which varied in interval of time between lifts from one to seven days, indicate that with an increase in the interval of time between lifts, the total catch increased while the catch per net day decreased. A logarithmic curve Y = 73.866 + 235.229 log X, where Yequals total catch in pounds and X equals the interval of time between lifts in days, appears to best describe this relationship. The species composition ofthe catch also changed significantly as the interval of time between lifts increased. This change was the result of a decreasing percentage of gizzard and threadfin shad in the catch as the interval increased.

Sills, Joe B., and Paul D. Harman. (Southeastern Fish Control Laboratory, Warm Springs, Ga.). E:[[Icacy and residues of quinaldine sulfate, an anesthetic[or striped bass (Roce'us saxatilis). Proceedings of the 24th Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Game and Fish Commissioners, pp. Striped bass (Roccus saxatilis) were exposed to solutions of quinaldine sulfate containing 10, 25,40 and 55 p.p.m. of quinaldine. Fish were effectively anesthetized at concentrations of 25 to 55 p.p.m. Residue levels in muscle tissue of fish exposed to 40 p.p.m. of quinaldine at 4° C. for 10 minutes reached 2.60 p.p.m., but were essentially gone after 24 hours of recovery in fresh water.

Fecundity of largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, Lac. reared and maintained on two diets was measured by use of a technique of collecting naturally-spawned eggs from nylon felt spawning mats. A volumetric measurement was made of the eggs in 10 spawns from Year Classes I, II and III pellet-fed fish for comparison with eggs from Year Class II bass fed forage fish. Average eggs per spawn for the Year Class I fish was 9,551; for Year Class II pellet-fed, 21,744; for Year Class III, 15,223 and for Year Class II fish-fed, 19,410. The lower number of eggs produced by Year Class III fish than Year Class II is thought to be related to influence of the diet given during the first 14 months of feeding when a ration of dry trout feed and ground frozen fish was fed to this lot. Other than this, the artificial ration used was Oregon Moist Pellet. Apparent viability of eggs from bass receiving artificial food was higher than that of eggs from those on a natural diet.

Previous attempts to artifically spawn the grass carp have been unsatisfactory, with complete failure or insignificant success using the Russian method des~ribed by A. G. Konradt (1965). The same basic procedure, with variations in hormone, size of dose, and number of injections, proved to be successful in our attempt to spawn four year old fish. The following significant observations were made: I. Human chorionic gonadotropin, used as stimulating injections, and dry, whole carp pituitary, used as the resolving injection, produced a high percent of viable eggs. II. Extending the period of development within the female from 36 hours to 60 hours proved to be more effective in producing mature eggs. III. The Spawning season is approximately one month in Arkansas. IV.

Spawning behavior, age and growth, and sport fishery for the silver redhorse, Moxosloma anisurum (Rafinesque), in the Flint River, Madison County, Alabama, were studied in 1969 and 1970. Spawning silver redhorse were first observed on April I, 1969, and April 8, 1970, at a water temperature of I 4.4° C. (58° F.) Females appeared to mature between the sixth and seventh year at a length of 548-600 mm. Males appeared to mature at 510-530 mm., but most seemed to mature at the same age. Growth of males and females was approximately the same until age group VI. After this age, males grew slower than females. Mature specimens moved into Flint River from Wheeler Reservoir to spawn during February through April. Immature silver redhorse returned to Wheeler Reservoir where they remained until sexually mature. The most important fishery on the Flint River during early spring is for silver redhorse.

The construction of a dike dividing the Okefenokee Swamp and the Suwannee River in 1960 and the phenomenal poundage of bowfin found in the river prompted an investigation to determine what fish were entering the river by passing over the dike from the swamp. Twenty thousand nine hundred and forty-six fish weighing 18,590.3 pounds were calculated to have moved over the spillway from February 20, 1969 to June 26, 1970. Bowfin comprised seventy-nine percent by weight of the fish and yellow bullhead were the most numerous species to come over. Ninety percent of the movement occurred at night. Movement was related to water temperature, depth of discharge, and spawning activity and is reported for each major species. The study establishes that the swamp does influence the river fishery and that the high bowfin population was, in part, due to their spilling over the dike. Management implications are discussed.

The information presented here is a phase of an overall investigation entitled "Environmental Changes Produced by Cold-water Outlets from Three Arkansas Reservoirs", supported by funds provided by the Office of Water Resources Research, and published in a bulletin by Hoffman and Kilambi (1970). The data herein presented compare the seasonal cycles of net plankton of a natural stream (Kings River) with a new tailwater (Beaver Reservoir, impounded in 1965). Quantitative net plankton abundance and physicochemical conditions at each area were monitored bimonthly from September 1967, through October 1968. Mid-winter blooms of Chrysophyta at the Beaver Dam stations were preceded by an increase in average monthly temperatures and followed by a decrease in silica concentrations. Downstream from Beaver Dam, late summer blooms of Cyanophyta were recorded. Most of these increases occurred in conjunction with high average dissolved oxygen concentrations and temperatures.

Sixteen years of creel and use data on Noontootla Creek in the southern Appalachian mountains of northern Georgia from 1954 to 1969 are presented. Changes in fishing pressure, catch rates, and use patterns under three types of management regulations-general regulations from 1954-1963 except for 1960 when the stream was designated "artificials only", and "artificials only catch-and-release" regulations from 1964-1969-are discussed. Noontootla is a wildlife management area stream fished under a permit check in-check out system allowing a nearly complete survey. A total of 17,445 anglers were surveyed. The survey revealed a decrease in daily fishing pressure under "artificials only" regulations and a substantial decrease under "catch-andrelease" regulations. The use data revealed a decrease in hours/ mean angler day with increasingly restrictive regulations: 4.62, 3.70, and 3.26 for general, "artificials only", and "catch-and-release", respectively.

A series of feeding trials were conducted in raceway-type aquariums with semi-purified diets for the purpose of biologically evaluating aquatic plants as diet ingredients for channel catfish. A protein concentrate extracted from water hyacinth was compared with casein for protein efficiency ratio (PER) with channel catfish fingerlings. The possibility that growth factors may be contributed by small amounts of dehydrated aquatic plant meal in the diet was tested by adding 5 or 10% water hyacinth meal or alfalfa meal to vitamin-free and vitamin-sufficient purified diets and to commercial-type diet formulations. Weight gains and mortalities were used as criteria for evaluating the experimental diets. The lengths of the feeding trials were 4 to 8 weeks depending upon the responses of the fish to the treatments. The PER (g gain per g protein fed) for the water hyacinth protein, 0.34, was much lower than that for casein, 4.87.

A rapidly installable and removable hydrofoil permits a single otter trawl to be used for both surface and bottom sampling. The hydrofoil is airplane-wing shaped in cross section and is three feet long, ten inches wide with a two inch maximum thickness. It is mounted on a fifteen degree wedge and secured to the top edge ofeach otter board. Conversion of doors from one mode of sampling to the other can be done in about one minute. As part of the Maryland anadromous fish studies, I young-of-the-year c1upeids and other species were collected by otter trawling on the bottom and surface of the nursery area studied. The same net and doors were used for both surface and bottom sampling. This paper details the attachment of hydrofoils to the otter boards to permit the gear's use in surface collection. An alternative method has been derived by Trent (1967), however, he did not indicate whether the same boards could be used for both surface and bottom work.

The dependence of commercial fishing success on strong yearclasses of striped bass is demonstrated, using four years of catch records from a small group of cooperating gill-net fishermen. Age analysis of these Rappahannock River catches during 1969 and 1970 revealed that an approximate tripling of landings in 1970 was a result of selection for the dominant 1966 year-class.

Examples of stream disturbance problems are cited. Soil Conservation Service Public Law 566, Army Corps of Engineers Section 208, and highway construction projects cause most stream damage. Significant stream fishery losses are also attributable to agricultural activities, railroad construction, urban and industrial development, and even to private self-interest groups and individuals. A detailed one-county West Virginia survey was made of fishery damages resulting from Agricultural Stablization and Conservation Service C-8 bank stabilization cost-sharing practices that occurred during one year. Nineteen separate projects on three quality streams altered more than 22,400 feet of stream. Replacement cost of lost fishery habitat on an acre for acre basis amounted to $81,600. Annual fish population losses of $3,517 plus expected losses from downstream sedimentation of $1,679, and annual man-day angling losses valued at $1,522 were determined.

The hardwood forests that grow on rich alluvial soil are our most valuable wildlife habitat. All states in the Southeastern Region and some other states were originally endowed with an abundance of this type of wildlife habitat. The soil which supported this habitat is also valuable for agriculture and this has caused the clearing of millions of acres. Shortly after World War II the rate of clearing of the bottomland hardwoods increased alarmingly. In the last ten years, the destruction of our most productive wildlife habitat has reached almost catastrophic proportions. A study of woodlands in the Delta Region of Arkansas, being conducted by the Arkansas Planning Commission in cooperation with the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, is revealing the extent of this rapid depletion of Delta timberlands. Further, the study is disclosing that this depletion is precipitating losses which extend far beyond what is generally considered to be the limits of conservation interests.

Early writings indicated that high soil fertility levels increased both quantity and quality of some wildlife species. More recent work has shown that factors other than soil fertility are also related to quality range for wildlife. Soils apparently have not been a limiting factor to turkey distribution in Missouri, since transplanted populations have done well on many soil types, even prairie soils. Weights of fawn whitetailed deer ranged from high in north Missouri to low in south Missouri, presumably reflecting a poorer quality of range in the Ozarks. However, chemical analyses of preferred deer foods collected from three soil areas did not reveal consistent differences which could be related to soil type or physical development of deer. Most native foods were of low quality. The increased physical development of deer in northern Missouri apparently resulted more from supplemental feeding on cultivated crops than from soil fertility.

Contemporary conservationists are frequently faced with the problem of issuing special permits when there are more applicants than there are permits available. The objectives of this project were to develop a computer technique for handling the selection of eligible applicants and to test its use and effectiveness in a fully automated computer system for handling drawings for special permits. Computer programs were designed to conduct the actual selection and to analyze results. A random interval sampling technique was used for selecting eligible applicants. The system was put through an actual test involving over 16,000 deer permit applicants competing for their choice of one of 35 hunt dates on 11 different wildlife management areas. Tests indicated that the fully automated system yielded comparable results with manual systems at reduced costs and time, and provided the applicant with a greater variety of choices of hunt dates and areas.

The pre-Columbian population of 2 million turkey in Texas (Schorger 1966) had declined to less than 100 thousand in 1928 (Anon. 1929). Written accounts of early explorers, travelers, and hunters noted numerous flocks of turkey and equally massive slaughter for food and ornamentations. Encroachment of civilization in the mid 80's, changes in land use, and indiscriminate hunting practices caused a drastic decrease in turkey numbers between 1840 and 1880. Game laws to protect turkey were initiated in 1881 and subsequent laws imposed stringent bag limits and protected hens. During the late 40's, Rio Grande turkey (Meleagris galopavo intermedia) were restricted mainly to Central and South Texas in remant flocks. The "Big Thicket" in southeast Texas held an estimated 125 Eastern turkey (M. g. silvestris). Trapping and transplanting reached a feverish pitch in 1942 when 1,005 Rio Grande birds were wild-trapped and moved to depleted turkey ranges in 36 counties.

A turkey population was established near Auburn, Alabama, in 1965 by releasing 26 wild-captured birds that had been wing-tagged for individual identification. In 1967 and 1968, 76 unbanded descendants of the original stock were captured, wing-marked, banded and released at their capture points. There were also 22 recaptures. All turkeys were captured after being drugged with alpha-chloralose. Weights and some measurements of captured turkeys are presented. From March 1965 through December 1968, 294 trips involving 1,020 hours were made to the study area to observe, count, capture and recapture turkeys and to patrol to prevent poaching. A total of 764 positive identifications of individually marked turkeys was made. Continued observations on this population, most of which was marked, made it possible to estimate spring-breeding populations and late-summer populations each year from 1965 through 1968 on 7,293 acres of the study area.

While studying deer movements and ecology in a logged, floodplain habitat in southwestern Alabama, the investigator noted certain consistent responses by deer to food changes. One radio-instrumented deer shifted her range three times in response to changing food supplies (food plot to ear corn to spring greenery and back to food plot). The shifts were not great in magnitude, but they were distinct and were spread over a nine-month period. Diel movements were very concentrated when food was concentrated, but dispersed when the food supply was dispersed. Two deer were radio-tracked on the clear-cut area during cutting activities. One that was tracked during the summer when food was abundant on the cut area had a limited range and diel movements. The other was tracked during the late fall when food was becoming scarce, and her range was nearly three times as large and diel movements were more dispersed.

During the winters of 1967-68 and 1968-69, 1,015 common snipe (Capella gallinago) were banded on a fresh water marsh in north central Florida including 994 which were captured with mist nets. The most productive techniques were driving the birds into nets concentrated in areas of heavy snipe utilization, and intercepting snipe along regular flight lanes. Net type, mesh size, color, and field techniques are described. Other capture methods are briefly discussed. References on the general use of mist-nets to capture birds can be found but few describe a netting technique for snipe. McClure (1956) reviewed three methods of arranging nets depending on the habitat (shoreline, hillside, and marsh) to capture various species. Sheldon (1960) discussed the most successful net arrangements, mesh sizes, and hours of operation for mist-netting woodcock during the summer in Maine.

A study comparing various waterfowl census techniques was conducted to determine which is most suitable for use with the Florida Duck population. Counts made from an airplane, air-boat and helicopter, covering identical transects in the Kissimmee River Valley of Florida, were compared. Surveys made from the air-boat were the most accurate, but were found to be impractical for regular census work. Airplane surveys proved to be practical if their inherent inaccuracy was compensated for by multiplying actual counts by a conversion factor. A conversion factor of 2.5 was obtained by comparing airplane and air-boat counts of Florida Ducks on the study area.

A free flying, resident flock of Canada geese (Bl'anta canadensis) has been successfully established in Middle Tennessee. The flock is now composed of over 400 geese. It was initiated in the late 1950's by a private citizen via the release of three or four pair of game farm origin birds on a 1,200 acre estate. This improved pasture type farm, which has several large ponds, is typical of much of the agricultural land usage in Middle Tennessee. The goose population has increased, thus filling available nesting habitat on the original estate and has since expanded to nearby Old Hickory Reservoir. The Tennessee Game and Fish Commission has conducted production, mortality, and banding studies on the flock since 1966. The initial success of this nesting population indicates that the local flock concept has merit for establishment of Canada geese in the Southeast.

A total of 57 of 75 bobcats (Lynx rufus) available were utilized in an evaluation for determining age in this species. Pelage characteristics, body measurements, frozen eye lens weight, and epiphyseal closure of the forelegs and humeri were of little value in determining age. Skull measurements were used in determining three age classes: (1) kittens (0-12 months); (2) young adults (13-24 months); and (3) adults (over 25 months). Skull morphology was also useful in defining these classes. The number of cementum annuli in the upper canine was correlated with age and allowed a more accurate age to be assigned to each animal than the other methods evaluated. Comparing the cementum annuli with the skull measurements indicated that the tooth sectioning technique was far better. In general, by skull examination, bobcat ages were consistently underestimated.

This report summarizes existing information on the ecology of rabies in wildlife in the southeastern United States. Patterns of involvement of various wildlife species and their significance in the ecology of rabies are discussed. Other subjects that are discussed include factors involved in epizootics, barriers to interspecific spread, and various mechanisms which may maintain the rabies virus in populations during periods between epizootics.

Trial releases of three species of exotic game birds were made on nine areas in South Carolina by the South Carolina Wildlife Resources Department. The black francolin was released on four areas from 1960 to 1962. The Western Iranian black-neck pheasant was released on five areas from 1961 to 1968. The red junglefowl was released on three areas from 1965 to 1968. A study was made of seven of the release sites to determine population levels of the released birds and to survey the vegetation. The black francolin exhibited generally negative census results two years after the last release. The Western Iranian pheasant has continued to survive only on areas where annual releases were made. Although the red junglefowl has shown promise, it is too early to determine its chances of survival. The results of the study indicate that the introduction of exotic game birds in South Carolina thus far has not been very successful.

An intensive field study of the status and ecology of introduced Indian red junglefowl (Gallus gallus murghi Delacour) was conducted from March 22 to August 26, 1968 in Baldwin County, Alabama. A high incidence of junglefowl "hybrids", resulting from crossing with domestic chickens (Gallus sp.), was observed in six separate groups and eight broods. An average of 2.9 chicks per brood was observed from March 2 to August 22. A probable failure of junglefowl to establish a wild population is indicated. Two hatchery-reared groups of 30 junglefowl each were released during the study in varied habitat conditions to investigate factors influencing dispersal. Six hens were equipped with 27 megaHertz radio transmitters. Observations of these marked junglefowl, as well as of previously released birds, indicate that attempted establishment near farm sites was a result mainly of attractive edge conditions. A dense understory appeared to be a cover requirement.

During a five year study of cottontail reproduction in Alabama, frequent observations were made of activities and mortality of nestling cottontail rabbits in five 50' x 50' pens, in six 200' x 200' pens, and in five large enclosures ranging from 6 to 40 acres in size. During this study 371 cottontail nests were found in which 231 litters were born. Evidence, some of which is circumstantial, indicates that 68 whole litters and parts of two other litters were destroyed by fire ants. From these observations it appears that significant fire ant disturbances to cottontail nesting can be expected in pens and enclosures where fire ant populations are of medium to high density. This is not meant to imply that fire ant predation would seriously alter cottontail populations in an unrestricted natural environment containing fire ant populations.

Collection of 135 young females revealed a very low incidence of breeding by this segment of the cottontail populations in Georgia. These data question the significance of early adult breeding as a major factor in contributing to a higher incidence of young-of-the-year breeding. The influence of other parameters in the Southeast was suggested; soil fertility and hot, dry summer weather were most significant.

Cap-Chur-Gem was injected intramuscularly into 22 pen-reared and six wild trapped European wild hogs. In pen-reared hogs, complete immobilization occurred in 13 hogs (68 percent) at dosages of 1 cc./9.9 to 1 cc./18.6 pounds of body weight and incomplete immobilization occurred in six hogs within the same dosage range. The remaining three penreared hogs showed little or no effects when injected with dosages smaller than 1 cc./19.0 pounds. Three of the wild trapped hogs were immobilized at dosages of 1 cc./10 pounds and three were not immobilized at dosages of 1 cc. per 14 to 20 pounds. The tIme from injection to immobilization varied from 6 to 62 minutes and averaged 25.3 ± 8.4 minutes for penreared hogs. Time from injection to immobilization and recovery for wild trapped hogs averaged 27.7 and 79.0 minutes and varied from 2 to 69 and from 51 to 135, respectively. The recommended dosage is 1 cc./15 pounds body weight.

The objectives, methods, and study areas of the Carolina Sandhills mourning dove investigation are described as they apply to present and future research. Indexes to mourning dove nesting densities are gained by means of 25 call-count routes in a 10-county intensive study area and 45 call-count routes in a 33-county extensive study area. These indexes will be correlated with habitat characteristics to determine specific qualities of desirable dove nesting habitat and to gain insight into possible effects of widespread changes in land-use and agricultural practices on dove nesting populations. The 25 intensive-study-area routes were each run three times per year. In addition, several were covered weekly throughout each summer. Extensive-study-area routes were run only once per year. The average number of doves heard calling per intensive-study-area route was 47.39 in 1968 and 48.14 in 1969. Averages for the extensive study area were 38.80 in 1968 and 37.49 in 1969.

Hunters responding to a standard mail questionnaire reported more doves killed and more dove hunting trips than would be judged from the wings these same individuals submitted through the mail. A bare majority of these hunters stated that their questionnaire answers better represented their experience for the season than did their wing response. Those who sent in wings reported hunting more often and killing more doves than those who failed to send in wings. For some time, wildlife biologists have examined parts of game animals to establish the age, sex or species composition in the hunter's bag. Often hunters are asked to submit wings, tails or other parts through the mail for examination. The method provides useful biological knowledge at relatively low cost. For at least some of the characteristics of some species it is doubtful that a hunter can recognize the subtle differences associated with age or sex, and therefore the bag information is probably unselected.